1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiation imaging apparatus including a hydrophilized portion provided in at least a portion of the outer surface thereof
2. Description of the Related Art
Many of medical apparatuses used in the medical field are continuously brought into contact with a plurality of patients. Particularly, radiation imaging apparatuses are continuously used for a plurality of patients. When the body fluid or the like of the patients adheres to these medical apparatuses and are insufficiently cleaned or washed therefrom, a pathogenic viral infection and the like may be transmitted between the patients or between the patient and a radiographer. In order to prevent such infection, the surface of the medical apparatus is sterilized by using a disinfectant solution such as an aqueous ethanol solution or an aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution, regularly or whenever the apparatus is used for a new patient when there is a high risk of infection.
When the radiation imaging apparatus, especially, a portable radiation imaging apparatus is used in an operating room, an emergency room, or the like, blood or vomit containing infectious viruses or bacteria, body fluid, sebum, and the like adhere to the apparatus in some cases. Furthermore, in the case of a mammography apparatus, lipstick or sebum from a patient adheres to a face guard portion, or oozing breast milk, blood resulting from a hemorrhage at the time of biopsy (mammotome biopsy), or sebum adheres to a breast support or a breast compression plate. These types of contaminants from patients are not easily wiped off. Particularly, in some cases, the contaminants are stuck to the surface of the apparatus, so it takes time to wipe the contaminants off
As solutions to these problems, the following techniques have been suggested.
For example, JP2012-132703A discloses a technique of mounting a waterproofed buffer material on the outer surface of a medical instrument. According to the technique, an advantage such that a contaminant does not easily adhere to the medical instrument is obtained.
JP2012-123297A suggests a method of covering a medical instrument with a photocatalyst (for example, TiO2) that has a bactericidal action.
Moreover, as suggested in JP1995-313561A (JP-H07-313561A), JP2005-275293A, and JP2003-207864A, as a countermeasure for infection, a method of performing antibacterial processing on various medical instruments including a radiation imaging apparatus has been considered.